Friday, September 9, 2011

Crafty and Free Storage Bins

I thought it was a pretty cool idea, but since we cloth diaper I don't really have a problem with diaper boxes laying around. I do, on the other hand, have wipes boxes that were given to us with hand-me-down clothes. So, I thought that I could probably use those. Also, since I didn't want to buy anything, I decided to paint my boxes with chalkboard paint that we already had and line them with fabric I was given. So all in all, this project was completely free. I didn't even buy the original wipes!

Here is a look at what I started with and what I ended up with.

On the left is a wipes box that I haven't done anything with yet, and on the right is my completed project.

Here is a quick how to:1. cut lid flaps off box2. paint box with chalkboard paint (I painted 3 layers and alternated the direction of my brush strokes between layers)3. sew liner for box (Here is the basic tutorial I used. I just didn't make ties for mine, because I am pretty much a somewhat straight line sewer and I didn't want to get too difficult.)

This is a picture of the progression of my boxes. (from left: plain box, one coat of paint, two coats of paint, and finished product.)

I'm not going to detail how to make the liner, because I am not the best at sewing and I doubt that I could explain it very well. This project took me a little more than two nap times, so that is probably about 3 hours total, not including waiting for the paint to dry. I haven't written on them yet, because they are supposed to cure for 4 days.

I am going to use these in our loft area that I am slowly (very slowly) turning into a play/learning space for C. When I finally get that finished, I will have to post some pictures.